OneShots
by ChameleonZ
Summary: A collection of Z/C one-shots-duh. R&R! *I got tired of posting them individually. Rated M to be safe.
1. Sing Me A Song

**Another one-shot!**

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><p>I tossed and turned all night.<p>

My tears were silent, my sobs had stopped, but it felt like I would cry forever.

Grant and Bex were sound asleep in the other bed, curled up closely to each other.

Bex's head was tucked gently under his chin and Grant's arms were wrapped tightly around her.

I would have done anything to be cared about the way they cared about each other.

_You are cared about like that, _I thought bitterly.

I pushed the thought away as the night's events replayed in my mind.

_"I can't be with you," I said between sobs._

_I couldn't bear to look at him, but I didn't have any choice. _

_Our eyes were like magnets locked together. I couldn't tear my eyes away._

_Zach was silent for quite sometime. _

_I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I could tell by the hurt in his eyes that he was unbelievably confused._

_ It made me cry harder._

_"What are you talking about?" was the first thing he said. I went to touch his cheek, but he pushed me away. "Answer me."_

_I finally broke our eye contact by lying back down on my bed. "You love me, right?"_

_He sighed, but nodded._

_"Can you wait for me?"_

_He turned away from me and didn't respond._

_ I didn't ask him again. _

_I knew hearing that question once was most definitely enough._

_"I know it's unfair of me, Zach," I whispered, "All of this is unfair of me. I've been a selfish bitch, just like you called me the first time we kissed."_

_He cringed as if it hurt him to remember that moment._

_It certainly wasn't the most romantic kiss in the world, especially being that he found out about Josh and I moments after._

_I sat up. "I want to be with you more than I've ever wanted anything," I continued, "But I can't take advantage of you anymore. I am not over what happened between Josh and I. I'm not sure that I'd even let you touch me. I'm more emotionally damaged from this than I appear to be and I can't do this to you anymore."_

_Still no response._

_"I know it was shitty of me to wait until _after_ you ended it with Tina, but I didn't think about it until you left," I sighed, _

_"I want to be able to lie around with you alone in my house and not think about what happened with Josh and me the last time I was alone with a guy in my bedroom. I'm not saying you'd do anything like that. I know you wouldn't…but it doesn't change the fact that it happened to me by a guy that I trusted and cared deeply for."_

_"Maybe we're just better off as friends," he said quietly. "Fate sure as hell doesn't want us to be together."_

_This time I was the silent one._

_"I'm not saying that I don't want to be with you because I do love you," he sighed deeply, "but there is always something in the way with us…and it always seems to be Josh, whether directly or indirectly."_

_"He was my dream boy," I admitted softly, "I saw my chance and I took it without realizing that while he and I would make a perfect couple on the outside, there is a hell of a lot more to a relationship than that._

_"When I told you that it mattered to me if you liked me or not, I meant it," I told him, "I know that I'm popular and almost everyone likes me, but I am not a good person. I use people. I hurt people intentionally. I would do anything to get what I want, no matter what happens because of it. I think you've gotten to know all of that by now."_

_He shook his head, finally turning back to me, "You are a good person, Cam. We all do stupid things every once in a while."_

_I scoffed, "Well, I certainly do it a lot more than every once in a while. I would totally understand if you didn't want anything to do with me. I don't deserve you."_

_He smiled slightly, "As much as I've wanted to walk away from you…as many times as I've tried, I always come back. I guess it's a downfall of being in love with a girl that doesn't know what the hell she wants."_

_"I know what I want," I said, staring straight into his eyes, "but I'm not sure I can handle it just yet."_

_He nodded and was quiet for a while. "These past few months have been nothing but a mess…for both of us. It seems like friendship is our only option."_

_I was stunned into silence._

_ I ruined it again because I was being selfish and stupid. _

_The last thing I wanted was friendship from him._

_ I wished I could turn back time so I would have made the right decision and chose him over Josh. _

_He was right though. Fate was working against us._

_"Is that what you really want?" I asked him._

_He shook his head, "No…but I think it's for the best."_

_I didn't respond, but I felt myself nodding. _

_I knew that he could tell that I wasn't happy about the decision, but maybe it _was_ for the best._

_"I'm leaving tonight," he told me. "I'm gonna bring Tina home and spend some quality time with my guitar."_

_I nodded again and he seemed to be waiting for something. _

_"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about what happened between you and Josh. If I had, things could be totally different."_

_He hugged me tightly and I fought back tears as he let me go. "It's funny, isn't it? We're finally both unattached and know what we want, but we can't have it anymore."_

_I couldn't hold the tears in any longer._

_ He brushed them away as they slid down my cheeks. "I love you," he said simply, "and I hope you understand why I'm doing this."_

_He kissed my forehead softly and left the room. _

_I stared at the door for a while after, crying harder and harder._

_I realized then that I loved him too. _

_I finally had the feeling I had been waiting forever to feel for someone and it was useless. _

_We weren't together. We weren't going to be together._

_I lied down on my bed and closed my eyes._

_ I didn't want to talk to Bex and Grant when they came back. _

_There was no point in holding my tears in anymore. _

_I let them fall and lied in bed for an extremely long time, not knowing what to do about anything._

"Guess what, guess what, guess what?" Bex practically screamed at me over the phone on Christmas Eve.

"What?" I rubbed my ear, "And do you think you could tell me a little quieter?"

She giggled, "Sorry. But this news is great. Great, I tell you. I mean, it's so great that I could scream and scream and scream."

"Just tell me," I told her.

"We got a gig!"

I almost dropped the phone, "What? Where? When?" I paused, "How?"

She laughed, "What is this, twenty questions? Come over. Grant and Zach are here…so we can work out a set and everything."

I sighed, "I don't know, Bex…"

I hadn't seen Zach since he left the resort a few days before.

I was still pretty tender about him. I cried a lot. The only upside was that I didn't think about Josh at all. Zach was the only thing on my mind.

"Please, Cam. We finally got somewhere with this band thing. You two need to be around each other again…there isn't anything you can do to avoid it."

I complied after a few minutes of arguing and took the longest route to her house as I possibly could.

I was scared to see Zach.

If he was happy, I think I would die.

I loved him and I wanted him to be happy, but I wanted him to be happy with me.

_Screw Tina if you see her with him, _my evil, bitter thoughts reminded me.

Hearing music coming the garage, I headed in that direction and willed myself not to spaz out when I saw him.

I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I entered and saw him.

"Hey, Cam…" Grant smiled at me.

Bex turned to look at me, "You look horrible."

I laughed despite myself, "Thanks. Really," I rolled my eyes, "I hadn't noticed that."

I sighed inwardly as I took in Zach's appearance.

I was mad at myself for being relieved that he seemed just as miserable as I was, but I wasn't too mad.

It made things a little more real to be around him again.

He wouldn't meet my eyes.

"So what's the deal?" I asked Bex as I sat down on an old couch.

"Well," she began, "Grant and I have been checking out places we could possibly play. Ya know…just for fun more than anything else. But we went to this internet coffee house—Netopia—about twenty minutes from here and they want us to play!"

"When?" I inquired.

"New Year's Eve for about forty-five minutes," Bex responded.

"But he said if we get a good response, we could go on longer," Grant interjected.

"That's awesome," I smiled.

"So you're in?" Bex asked.

"Of course I'm in…why wouldn't I be?"

She glanced towards Zach, "I dunno. He's not."

I could feel my eyes widened to twice their size, "What the hell do you mean? The Zach I know would most certainly want to do this."

He sighed, "The Zach you know got lost."

I turned to Grant and Bex, "We'll be right back," I told them.

Zach followed me slowly outside.

We sat on the hood of my car in silence. The snow fell lightly around us. "What's up?" I inquired.

He laughed bitterly, "What isn't, Cam? I thought this would be easier than it is. It was a mistake on my part."

"What was a mistake?" I asked him.

"It was a mistake to ever fall for you," he snapped at me.

"Okay…" was all I could think of to say.

Maybe it would have been better if he was happy about this all.

He was definitely consistent in making sure everyone else felt just as miserable as he did.

He groaned, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. This is all too much though, ya know?"

I smiled faintly and wrapped my arms around myself, "Yeah…I know."

"I don't know what I want anymore," he told me.

I sighed, "I do."

He slipped an arm around me and I let his warmth radiate through me. "I wish I was as sure as you are."

I shrugged and rested my head against his shoulder, "I can wait. I have to wait."

"Why's that?" He questioned.

I took a deep breath. _It's now or never…or later…maybe? _

Thoughts swarmed through my head and my heart. I felt scared to tell him how I felt, but maybe…just maybe…it would make everything okay.

"Because I love you, too," I admitted softly.

He jerked and practically scampered away from me, but not before he told me what he thought.

"I am so tired of your bullshit," he hissed at me, "How can you take advantage my feelings again? I know exactly what I want. I want to be as far away from you as I possibly can be."

But as Zach retreated to the safety of his room, he thought

_That was the worst lie I've ever said in my life._

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><p><strong>Yes, I'm evil. Yes, this is a one-shot. No, I don't think I'll be continuing.<strong>

**Or _do _you want to make this a two-shot?  
><strong>

**R&R!  
><strong>


	2. Hot Mess

**Still thinking about writing chap2 for Sing Me A Song (the title of the first one, forgot to put that in, sorry.)**

**I might post SMAS tomorrow or on Saturday, I promise!**

**So, I hope you'll enjoy this one.**

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><p>"Wow, you're such a dork," Zach says as he watches me bop my head around like a maniac.<p>

"Have you ever heard the song Hot Mess?" I wonder as I pull one of the earphones out of my ear.

"Um, no."

"By Cobra Starship?"

"Again, no." He's looking at me like I'm crazy.

"Well, maybe if you heard it, you'd understand why I feel like dancing around. That song is _amazing!_ _You're a hot mess and I'm falling for you, and I'm like HOT DAMN, let me make you my boo, cuz you can shake it shake it shake it, yeah you know what to do, you're a hot mess, I'm loving it, HELL YES!"_

"Wow, you're such a dork," Zach repeats as he laughs at me from his spot on my wheely chair thingy at my desk.

We're supposed to be working on homework in my room, but that's kind of hard to do when you have a very distracting, hot teenage boy sitting in your room across from you.

"You're just jealous that you're not as fun as me," I point out as I turn off my iPod and set it aside. The song is over. I feel like crying. Haha, not really.

"You're right—I'm _not_ as fun as you," he says as he hops up from the chair and starts walking towards my spot on the carpet (I'm leaning against the wall). "I'm _more_ fun."

He kneels down before me and places his arms on either side of my head.

I freeze up instinctively. I'm still not used to all this touchy-feely-kissy stuff with Zach. I mean, sure, we occasionally held hands when I was being blackmailed, but never stuff like this!

Well, at least not _all_ the time.

Zach brushes his lips against mine and moves to plant light kisses on my ear. He says, "Would you just relax and actually get into it?"

I have to smile at that. Oh, Zach.

I slip my hands around his neck and turn my head to capture his mouth with mine, making warmth shoot through my lips and fill my entire my body.

His hands trail down my sides, leaving goosebumps behind, and hold my waist a little too low to be chaste. Zach tugs me forward so my front is pressed against his and I'm pretty much sitting in his lap.

UGHHH! Why hadn't I ever admitted I loved him earlier?

Loved him? Do I really _love_ him?

He nips at my lower lip. Mmm. Yep, I love him.

"Wow, you're lucky it was _me_ to interrupt and not Mom or Dad," Grant says from the doorway.

Zach and I break apart with a start, but one of his arms remains around my waist as he hauls me into a standing position.

"God, it is so weird to see my best friend and my twin sister touching each other like that," Grant laughs.

"Not to be rude, old man," I say, "but why are you here?"

"I live here, little sis."

"She meant, why are you in her _room_, idiot," Zach says as he rolls his eyes.

Grant laughs again. "Mom says dinner's ready. Zach, you staying?"

"Yeah, why not?"

We head downstairs to eat, Zach sitting beside me and rubbing circles on my thigh with his hand. I don't think he's stopped touching me once when he's not around.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm actually liking it. Very much so. Very much.

"Jeez," Bex says from my other side. "Would you two quit groping each other under the table? I'm trying to eat, here!"

My face burns. "We're not groping each other!" My parents just try not to laugh.

Well, mostly my mom. My dad looks like he's trying to not to glare. Oh, wait, there he goes. Ouch. Intense glare there, Daddy.

Zach's hand moves from my upper leg to my behind. I smack his hand. "Dude!" I exclaim.

He laughs and turns away to eat his food. I think I might've said this before, but…JERK!

"Yeah, not groping each other at all," Bex says sarcastically.

"Really?" Grant wonders. "At the _table?_"

"It was all him!" I accuse as I point to my boyfriend beside me.

Huh. My boyfriend. Zach. That is fun to say.

"I'm innocent until proven guilty," Zach declares.

"I could take my pants in to the police or whoever and they would find your fingerprints on them!" I cry.

"Okay, guilty as charged." Zach smirk at me. One of those roguish smirks that make girls go weak-kneed. Man, why does he have to be so damn good-looking? Why couldn't I have fallen in love with some ugly nerd or something?

Pfft, who am I kidding? That would never happen. Not when I've got this retard—_hot_ retard—here.

Dinner's over and Zach snatches my hand to bring me out to his car.

He says something along the lines of "we're going to find something to do", but I cut him off with a kiss and get that familiar stomach-flipping, electric-buzzing, warmth-spreading feeling that reminds me of _why_ I don't love an ugly nerd.

Because, somehow, for some deranged reason, I'm in love with this idiotic hot mess sitting beside me. And I'm okay with it.

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><p><strong>Hope that was fluffy enough. The name of this one-shot is Hot Mess, and by the way, THIS IS AN ONE-SHOT.<br>**

**R&R!  
><strong>


	3. Sing Me A Song chap 2

**Chap2 UP!**

**Hope ya'll like it.  
><strong>

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><p>I stared into the snow-covered ground for quite sometime, unable to comprehend what had just happened.<p>

I watched the snow fall heavier, the flakes becoming thicker, and knew I should have been cold, but I couldn't feel a thing.

I was numb, but it wasn't because of the cold.

I don't know how long I sat there and stared into the white world around me.

I don't remember thinking about anything.

I stared blankly around me with no motivation to get up and find him or to stay there and mope.

I don't know how I managed to get up from the hood of my car. I had previously felt glued to it.

I walked towards the garage subconsciously—as if I had no control over my movements.

"Where'd he go?" I asked Bex as I entered the garage.

"Uh…I don't think he—"

I cut her off, "Where is he?" I sounded hysterical to myself, but I wasn't the one that was talking. Something completely took over my body.

"His room," she told me.

I hurried out of the garage, ignoring their questions.

When I got to his room, I stopped in the doorway.

He was lying on his bed, his face planted in his pillow as if he was trying to suffocate himself.

His shoulders were shaking. He let out a sob.

I transformed back into myself.

I walked silently into the room and sat on the edge of his bed, unsure of what to do.

"Get out," he said between sobs.

"I can't," I whispered. "I won't."

He didn't respond, but he held in his tears.

I stared at the green walls and smiled to myself as I remembered helping him paint them.

It was only four months before, but it felt like a lifetime.

"How can you keep doing this to me?" He inquired after about five minutes of silence.

I sighed, "I'm not doing anything to you, Zach. I meant what I said."

He scoffed and sat up, "Yeah, right."

"Zach!" I exclaimed, "Why the fuck would I make it up? So you could reject me? I love you, damn it! As crappy of a person as I may be, I am nowhere near that cruel. I know…somewhere…you know that as well."

I wanted to reach out to him, but there was no point.

I knew he would brush me off. I knew it'd probably only make everything worse.

Even knowing all that, though, I had to sit on my hands to stop myself from doing it.

I looked deep into his eyes and tried to make him understand.

He immediately looked away and I realized exactly what was going on.

"I get it," I said, "You want to be with me _just _as much as I want to be with you, but you want me to know just how badly it hurts to be rejected and ignored and used the way I used you."

I sighed, "I don't know how many times I can apologize for that. I was wrong. I screwed up. I know I did, but for God's sake, I love you. I would never, _ever_ say something like that to you if I didn't mean it."

"Then what about wanting me to wait for you?" He asked tiredly, as if the arguing exhausted him.

I was silent for a moment.

It was hard to explain how I felt about that, but I knew I had to if I wanted him to understand.

"I…Josh tried to rape me, Zach. He tried to rape me and when I didn't let him, he hit me. I know…you would never do it. I know you wouldn't…but this is crazy, Zach. I'm a lot more affected by it than I let on," I paused, burying my head in my hands.

"There's no way I can say this to you without having you think that I'm saying you're capable of doing what he did to me. What happened between Josh and I changed me…and I'm not sure that it would be fair to you to subject you to that change without at least warning you."

"So you're ready for a relationship?" He inquired.

I nodded, "It makes no sense, I know. I realized that I can't put my life on hold though. I have messed with you so much…I can't keep doing it…" I sighed and searched for the words I needed, "I love you, Zach. I've never felt like this for anyone before."

He sighed and remained silent.

I was desperate to continue this conversation.

It finally felt like we were getting somewhere.

"Just give me a chance," I begged, "I'd do anything…" I trailed off, an idea sparking in my mind. "I can prove it," I told him suddenly, "I just need one thing from you."

"What's that?"

"I need you to go to the show on New Year's Eve and play," I said softly. "I know that it's difficult, but Grant and Bex have worked so hard."

He nodded, "Fine. I'll do it."

I smiled, "Thank you, Zach."

* * *

><p>10:00 pm<p>

Netopia overflowed with people.

Many teens from Gallagher had heard about the concert and showed up.

Bex, Macey and Liz were definitely responsible for that.

Music was pounding from the radio as we finished setting up.

It wasn't a normal coffeehouse setting.

It was loud and exciting. I couldn't wait to start playing.

"Are you sure these songs will fill forty-five minutes?" Zach asked me. "They're the shortest ones we've written."

I nodded hurriedly, not looking him in the eyes, "Come on, Zach…we gotta take into account the massive crowd support we're going to get between each song."

He laughed, "Wishful thinking."

I shook my head, "We're good and you know it."

"So do you want to tell me what you have planned tonight that Grant and Bex are so hush-hush about?" He inquired after backing me into a corner so I couldn't leave until he got the answer he was looking for.

I smiled, "That would ruin the fun."

He shrugged, "So?"

I got really close to him, but didn't touch him, "It would ruin the surprise as well."

He seemed unfazed, "I don't like surprises."

"Oh, well," I told him and placed my hand gently on his chest, "You'll like this one."

I could feel his heart beat speed up as I touched him and smiled to myself. _This is going to work,_ I said to myself.

I moved from Zach without any objection and looked for Bex. I came up behind her and squeezed her hand. "Can you believe we're actually going to do this?" I squealed.

She smiled at me and we went to peek out behind the curtain to see how packed the place was.

"I just can't wait to get out there," I told her, "It's gonna feel so good to hear people's responses."

She stopped me, "We have a problem."

"What?" I couldn't figure out what could be wrong. We were finally going to play for everyone to hear us.

She sighed, "Look out there."

I peeked out just as she had done before. There stood Josh in the first row looking right back at me. He winked at me and I had to contain myself both from crying and from strangling him.

I turned away from him and sat down on a box that held a speaker. "I can't go on with him right there." I whispered to her, burying my face in my hands.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and I flew up. Grant's blue eyes showed nothing but concern as I sat back down, holding in my tears.

I hadn't had to face Josh for almost two weeks. I thought I was getting over it, but it was obvious to me then that I wasn't. The wound had been reopened.

"What's going on?" Grant asked Bex.

"Take a look for yourself," she gestured towards the curtain. Grant did as he was told and came back to us looking angrier than ever.

"What is he doing here?"

I laughed bitterly, "He can go wherever he wants." The tears started to fall and I saw no point in holding them back anymore. "Why didn't I listen to you, Bex?" I cried. "I should've gone to the police and none of this would happen."

Zach appeared and I buried my face even further in my hands. I cried silent tears as he approached. I could feel his eyes on me and I didn't respond when his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"We'll get him out of here," he told me.

"How'd you know?" I questioned.

"Only one thing could make you this upset," he sighed, "I'll get him out of here. I'd like to do it personally."

I nodded and he squeezed my hands before going onstage. I stood and peeked through the curtain.

He talked to the owner for a moment before he grabbed Josh by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of sight.

He appeared moments later, rubbing his knuckles.

"You didn't hit him," Bex said, but it wasn't a question.

He shrugged and glanced at me, "Just returning a favor."

I smiled and followed him away from Bex and Grant. "Thank you," I whispered. "There is no way I would have been able to go on knowing that he was out there."

"It's no problem," he insisted and took my hand in his.

I sighed softly. I could feel myself melting as he gently rubbed my knuckles.

I wanted to say something to him—I wanted to say anything—but I didn't know what. I didn't know how to begin or if it was even worth it.

Lately it seemed like as soon as I opened my mouth, everything came out wrong.

"You ready?" Bex approached us not long after.

He and I nodded and reluctantly let go of each other's hands.

We approached the stage nervously. The excited anxiety between the four of us was at the highest point it had ever been.

I had been in plays for years, but nothing had felt like this before. I was finally achieving something for myself.

I heard the crowd of people quiet down as the owner, a thirty-year-old bald man with a dream to become successful in St. Cloud named Bill Newman, announced that we would be on shortly.

I heard Liz and Macey catcall and smiled to myself. I had some great friends and it was pretty bad that it took me so long to realize that.

Bill came back and talked to us for a few minutes about the size of the crowd. He seemed just as excited as we were. He said it was excellent publicity for the coffeehouse and we could most definitely return if we kept this type of crowd.

"And now," he said over the noise of the crowd, "No Stereotype!"

The coffeehouse erupted with whistles and applause. I smiled at Bex and we started playing.

Our first song was one that I had written when I was beyond angry with the three of them after the cabin incident titled "You Don't Know."

Our set went by unbelievably fast with incredible praise from the audience.

It was obvious that they were really into the music. I was happy that they liked it because I knew that a majority of them just went to support us, but I could see in their eyes that they loved it.

We ended up playing a few extra songs that weren't on the set. Even Bill was into the music.

It was nearing midnight and I glanced at Bex and Grant and they signified that they were ready.

"Thanks, guys," I said into my microphone, "Have a great night!"

Everyone applauded and catcalled and one guy shouted out, "Can I kiss _you_ at midnight?" I smiled to myself as the curtain closed.

Bex and Grant pulled Zach offstage as quickly as they could, making up some excuse that I didn't really care about as long as it worked.

"You ready?" Bill asked me quietly after making sure Zach was out of hearing range.

I grinned and nodded, "Definitely."

"You must really be into this guy to do this for him," he commented.

I nodded again, "Yeah, you could say that."

The curtain reopened and the crowd looked at me expectantly. I put a finger to my lips, hoping they would get the message and keep quiet until I was ready to begin.

They were a pretty responsive crowd, and for the most part, acted like I wasn't even there.

I tapped lightly on the microphone. "Normally," I began, "I'm not big on bands that do covers…but I figured that this would be kinda cool." I smiled as Zach peeked his head out of the curtain beside me, a confused look on his face.

I could also tell from the way he was looking at me that Grant and Bex had a pretty strong grip on him, making sure he wouldn't do anything to screw this up.

I picked my guitar up and continued, "So girls…what do you think of these guys?" The catcalls made me beam. "I think so, too…so…this is for Zach…I told you I'd prove it."

The music began behind me. While I fully intended on playing, I wasn't a band. One singer can't play more than one instrument.

_"Another day is going by_

_I'm thinking about you all the time_

_But you're out there_

_And I'm here waiting…"_

The coffeehouse exploded in applause as I sang Simple Plan's "I'd Do Anything" for Zach. The song described exactly how I felt for him.

It also didn't hurt that it was one of Zach's favorite songs.

_"And I wrote this letter in my head_

_'Cause so many thing were left unsaid_

_But now you're gone_

_And I can't think straight_

_This could be the one last chance_

_To make you understand_

_I'd do anything_

_Just to hold you in my arms_

_To try to make you laugh_

_Somehow I can't put you in the past_

_I'd do anything_

_Just to fall asleep with you_

_Will you remember me?_

_'Cause I know I won't forget you…"_

I finished the song without putting much effort into it. Everything seemed to be happening perfectly.

As I finished, the crowd let out the biggest roar I'd ever heard. I knew right then that nothing would ever compare to this moment.

I glanced around for Zach, praying that he would come onstage and do something—anything.

I needed a reaction from him. I couldn't imagine him being angry with me, but he was Zach. He never really needed a reason to act completely different than I imagined him to.

He stepped out after what felt like years of agonizing silence.

He seemed uncertain, but as he stepped closer, a grin spread across his face and he pulled me to him. If I thought the crowd was loud before, it was nothing compared to this.

The catcalls and whistles were amazingly loud.

I glanced towards Bex and Grant who were grinning just as wide as I was. Even Bill seemed touched by the whole scene.

"Kiss her," the guy called from the crowd again, "One of us should be able to."

I smiled shyly as he did just that. He pressed his lips to mine tenderly, a kiss we hadn't yet experienced. We pulled apart soon after, aware of the crowd before us.

"I love you," I whispered to him, pushing my forehead to his.

"I love you, too," he sighed happily and pushed his lips to mine again for another sweet kiss.

I didn't feel anything but his arms around me, his lips against mine, and I knew then that it would be all I felt for quite some time.

* * *

><p><strong>By the way, THIS IS A TWO-SHOT.<strong>

**R&R!  
><strong>


	4. Accidental Phone Confession

**Title: Accidental Phone Confession  
><strong>

**Attention:**

**IF YOU KNOW MY SECRET IDENTITY, _DO NOT_ READ THIS**

I wrote this one because I'm bored and (**LOOK ABOVE THIS TEXT**) Because it's kinda what I'm feeling right now, and I need to get it out.

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><p>Being thirteen years old was hard.<p>

Before sixth grade, Cammie didn't even really notice any guys.

Zach was a guy, but he was _Zach_.

Nothing would ever come from that, right?

He was always talking about some girl.

Always.

He was a freshman in high school…it wasn't like he didn't have a reason to.

And for a while, it didn't particularly bother Cammie.

Boys weren't an issue.

Zach was like her brother.

Then, however, she started to notice that "her brother" was quite cute.

She started to notice things like how his eyes would light up whenever he'd talk about baseball or the dimples that appeared on his cheeks whenever he smiled.

Cammie wasn't used to the thoughts, to say the least.

She didn't know what to do with them…where to place them. So she shut up and let Zach do all the talking.

He'd already had countless girlfriends.

He'd even had one when he was in sixth grade.

Cammie felt a little inadequate compared to him. He succeeded at everything he did.

When her phone rang, she was glad to escape the new feelings.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey, Cam…it's me," Zach replied.

She could tell he was smiling just by how he said it.

_And his deep voice is so different than the boys I go to school with…_her conscience added evilly.

She pushed the thought away, "Hey…what's up?"

Of course, he immediately pushed into a story about a girl.

He went on and on about how she was the greatest girl he'd ever met and that he wanted to be with her more than anything on the planet.

Cammie was supportive, but hearing all this made her sick.

Her feelings were enough to deal with, but hearing him babble like a lovesick teenager pushed her way over the edge.

What could she say though?

Zach was her best friend.

She had to be there for him through everything…and that included all his talk about girls and giving him advice about it.

"Zach…?" She interrupted him, "What's the girl's name?"

"Huh? Oh, hold on…my mom's talking to me," he said and then covered the receiver with his hand.

When he came back, he commented, "I gotta get going…it's time for dinner. I'll probably come over later, all right?"

"Okay," she replied, "Talk to you later."

"Bye," he said.

Cammie was about to hang up, but at the last second she heard him.

"By the way, her name," he said to the dead receiver, thinking she'd already hung up, "is Cammie."

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><p><strong>R&amp;R?<br>**


	5. 2AM Kisses

**I just had the most dramatic week of my drastically young life. **

**I dunno where I got the idea to write this.**

**Wait, maybe I do.**

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><p><strong>2 A.M.<strong>

We sat in silence for five full minutes before my patience ran out.

"Zach, what's the deal? It's two-thirty in the goddamn morning and I want to know why you insisted I come here. No offense, but driving forty miles to stare at each other isn't worth it to me," I glared at him, though I wasn't as mad as I sounded.

It was about freakin' time for him to talk, and if it wasn't to Macey, well, I was certainly second best.

He appeared visibly nervous. His eyes wouldn't meet mine for longer than a second or two, and when he did actually look at me, it was like he completely stopped breathing.

The deer-in-the-headlights look was almost amusing, but when I remembered how he had begged me to get out of bed and come see him after working nearly twelve hours, the amusement faded quickly.

He smiled weakly at me. "You know when something seems like a good idea at first and you think you have the balls to go through with it, but when it comes to actually _doing _it, you freeze and wonder what the hell you were thinking in the first place?"

"Is this hypothetical?"

He shook his head, "I don't know what to do."

"Well know that I'm crashing here tonight," I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch. I could tell it was going to take some serious prying to get him to spill. I wasn't sure that I had the motivation.

"That's fine," he said quietly. Silence filled the air again and I was really close to falling asleep when he finally spoke up again.

"Cammie," he whispered, sitting down next to me apprehensively.

"Yes, Zach, I'm awake. Are we going to talk or can I please just sleep?"

"We'll talk…it's just hard."

I opened my eyes slowly, not looking at him. "You're frustrating me."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You enjoy it. You love knowing that I'll drive all the way out here just to see that you're okay. You love knowing that no matter how irritated I seem, I'll stay up all night to help you with whatever's on your mind. You're just taking your precious time because you _know_ all of this," I closed my eyes again, resigned to my fate of a very long night.

"How'd you get to know me so well?" I could tell he was smiling, even with my eyes closed. I could hear the smile in his voice. That suddenly seemed sort of weird.

"I've spent the last three months practically glued to you and Macey because you are an idiot with no idea how to act around girls. I've picked up on a few things."

He was silent again. I knew his clear green eyes were on me, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. Something about the whole situation seemed off.

"Can we talk about Macey?" I asked suddenly, opening my eyes and sitting up a bit, trying to seem like I meant business.

He looked down, wringing his hands anxiously before nodding slowly. "What about her?"

"Be straight with me, Zach… because I'm getting quite sick of you dancing around this subject every time one of us brings it up," I glanced at him, waiting for him to agree. He nodded slowly again. "Do you like her?"

"Oh, come on, you know I do," he said exasperatedly.

"Actually," I turned to him, boring my violet eyes into his green ones, "all I had was mere speculation. It's not easy getting an honest answer out of you most of the time."

"Yes, I like her. She's a great girl. I love hanging out with her."

"Then why won't you date her?" I asked, point-blank. I saw no reason to be tactful at this point. All tact officially leaves my body after two in the morning anyway. No human should be forced to be nice at that point of the day… or night. Or whatever.

He sighed and remained quiet for quite some time, making me suspicious.

It wasn't a difficult question. It seemed like he was just trying to pick the "best" reason. I informed him of this.

"That's not what I'm doing," he told me, "It's just not easy to explain this to her best friend."

I rolled my eyes, but granted him some leeway. It wasn't like I was some freak with the tendency to explode at every opportunity, but I was very protective of Macey

Zach wasn't stupid—he knew that if he said something the wrong way, I would probably get really defensive. I was actually kind of proud of him for considering that by the time he finally gave me his reason.

"I don't want to ruin the friendship," he admitted.

I huffed, trying desperately not to smack him, "How cliched can you get? Seriously? Wake me up when you come up with a more creative way to say that."

"Cammie!" he exclaimed, sounding just as frustrated as I was feeling, "It's the truth. She's the best friend I've _ever_ had. As much as I like her, I can't justify possibly ruining the best friendship I've had because of some stupid feelings."

"Stupid feelings? How you feel isn't 'stupid,' stupid," I glared at him again, "What it seems like is that your feelings for her aren't as strong as you're pretending they are, which really makes no sense. Why would you lead someone on when you're so adamantly against being with her?"

"Because I'm stupid," he supplied.

"Oh shut up."

"You called me stupid!" he protested.

"You're acting it, but you can't use that as an excuse!" I was almost shouting now, but lowered my voice quickly. "I know you, Zach, and I know you're not stupid. So please don't pretend to be to get out of this conversation that _you _wanted to have."

Silence filled the room again. I felt like this was going to be yet another completely pointless attempt at trying to figure this aspect of Zach out. Perhaps I was right before—maybe he just doesn't know how to feel.

"She really is the best friend I've ever had," he said softly, "And maybe you're right, maybe I don't like her as much as I let on. I honestly don't know anymore."

"Why not?" I responded just as quietly. Yelling seemed to be doing no good, so I was trying another approach.

He took a deep breath. Internally I knew this was going to be a huge moment; I was unconsciously holding my breath.

"Three months ago, I was so into Macey that I thought I was going to explode. I couldn't stop thinking of her. I loved having her around. Every time she was over here, I had to practically sit on my hands to stop from touching her," he paused, glancing at me before looking away quickly, "Three months ago, if she would have said something, I would've wanted to start dating…"

"So what's the problem, what changed?"

"I'm getting to it," he smiled slightly, "Contain yourself. As I was saying, I probably would have starting dating her…" another giant pause. I was beginning to wonder if they were just for dramatic effect. "Three months ago, you walked into my life."

Silence. Complete dead silence. I swear I could hear a clock ticking, but the only clock he had was digital. "What are you saying?" I asked so quietly that I was almost inaudible.

But he heard me. He always did.

"I'm saying that I suddenly couldn't stop thinking of _you,_" he explained, "It wasn't Macey anymore… it was completely you. At first, I thought maybe it was just every girl that entered my life, I apparently needed to crush on… but my feelings for you haven't changed. If anything, they've just progressed into something much stronger."

I was completely speechless. To say I had absolutely no idea was the biggest understatement I'd ever encountered. I had been totally blindsided.

"But… I… how…?" I was unable to form a sentence.

He squeezed his eyes shut quickly before opening them again and I could suddenly _see_ how he felt for me. His eyes were completely open; there were no shadows, no secrets.

It was cheesy, but I truly felt like I could see into his soul.

And then, out of nowhere, he kissed me, softly and suddenly.

It surprised the hell out of me.

But what's worse?

I kissed him back.

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><p><strong>(I'm gonna love what I'm gonna say next!)<br>**

Read between the lines.

:D


	6. Cookies

**There are times when I really hate my brother.**

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><p><strong>Cookies<br>**_:When living with Grant, one never makes cookies unguarded.:_

Cammie walks past the living room, where Grant is sitting comfortably, eating chips.

"What are you doing?" he asks as he watches her go into the kitchen. They just ate lunch, so she obviously isn't getting a snack. Which means only one thing: cookies. Cammie is about to make cookies.

"Nothing," she replies, pulling on her baking apron.

"Don't lie," he says. "I know you're making cookies."

"Who says?" she asks, pulling out the cookie batter mix and a big bowl.

"Because what else could you be doing?"

"Getting a drink?" she replies, rolling her eyes as she opens the fridge and takes out a stick of butter.

"You're taking too long," he argues.

"I'm _really_ thirsty," she says, stirring the ingredients together.

"Liar," he mutters. But he lets it slide, considering how his show just got back from commercial.

After thirty minutes, Grant hears a ring. Cammie tries to stop it, but it's too late. Grant has heard his calling and is now ready to approach his prey.

"Grant, stay back!" she yells from inside the kitchen. "The-The floor is all wet!" she lies. "You're gonna slip if you come."

He rolls his eyes and walks into the kitchen, smelling the sweet aroma of the cookies. He licks his lips and smiles.

He walks over to the counter and leans hungrily over them, ready to grab one.

"No!" Cammie yells, frowning. "I made those for school!"

It's too late. The deed has been done. Grant has eaten a cookie.

But Cammie should've known that when living with Grant, one never makes cookies unguarded.

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><p>Up next: Words<p>

*this title is random, and it may change. See ya!


	7. Both me and you

**Little words can mean something...  
><strong>

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><p>Twenty little words that started a war, both you and me.<p>

_"You two will be working together on this project." _

_"I refuse to work with him." _

_"Unfortunately, I agree with her." _

Nineteen little words that brought us down, both you and me.

_"If you don't move your hand away from mine, I will move it for you." _

_"Is that a challenge?" _

Eighteen little words that challenged us, both you and me.

_"You think you're _so_ tough, don't you?" _

_"I know I'm tough. And what about you, little miss perfect?"_

Seventeen little words that had us at our knees, both you and me.

_"How far have you gotten in research?" _

_"Nowhere. I have been studying you instead. It's more interesting."_

Sixteen little words that made us think, both you and me.

_"What do you think you're doing?" _

_"Studying. What do you think you're doing?"_

_"Watching you study." _

Fifteen little words that made us fight, both you and me.

_"Leave me alone."_

_"Stop pretending like you don't love it."_

_"Who said I was pretending?"  
><em>

Fourteen little words that annoyed us, both you and me.

_"How have you been, Cammie?"_

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Being polite."_

_"I meant why." _

Thirteen little words that made us crazy, both you and me.

_"I hate the way I act around you."_

_"Huh. Really? I love it."_

Twelve little words that kept us together, both you and me.

_"Project's over, Goode. You can leave me alone now."_

_"I'd rather not."  
><em>

Eleven little words that made us smile, both you and me.

_"What is so funny?"_

_"Nothing. You're just cute when you're concentrating."_

Ten little words that kept us coming back, both you and me.

_"Yes?"_

_"I'm just here to... read."_

_"Keep telling yourself that."_

Nine little words that made us sigh, both you and me.

_"I like you."_

_"Very funny Zach."_

_"I wasn't joking."  
><em>

Eight little words that hinted towards more from both you and me.

_"Who's she?"_

_"No one. Who's he?"_

_"No one."_

Seven little words that shocked both you and me.

_"Zach? What do you want?"_

_"A date."  
><em>

Six little words that weakened us, both you and me.

_"I told you, no -"_

_"Please, Cammie?"  
><em>

Five little words that said more than they meant between both you and me.

_"I had fun." _

_"Me too."_

Four little words that sealed the deal for both you and me.

_"I don't regret it."_

Three little words that destroyed both you and me.

_"I love you."_

Two little words that ended our lives, both you and me.

_"I do."_

One little word that started it all between both you and me.

_"Hello."_

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><p><strong>Like it, i hope. R&amp;R!<strong>_  
><em>


	8. Dealing with a Demigod

Dealing with a Demigod

"An exaggerated real-life experience."~ChameleonZ

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><p>I <strong><span>w<span>**as going to kill him.

The moment he showed up, I was going to pummel him with a textbook and castrate him with a pencil. I was going to gag him with my necktie, knock him out with my book bag, and dance around his lifeless body while reciting turn-of-the-century American poetry. I was going to... ah, who was I kidding? None of that was possible. And even if it were, I wasn't that sadistic.

Besides, all he'd have to do is smirk at me and my attempts would be ineffectual. Yes, such was the power of Zach Goode, Gallagher Academy's resident demi-god.

He's not only ridiculously wealthy, but he was also popular, and just as good-looking. One smile and girls turn into putty. Even I wasn't exempt from his physical prowess.

God, I hated that. Stupid prick.

I slumped my head in my arms, peeking at the clock for the umpteenth time. Hasn't he heard of a watch? For over an hour, I'd been stuck in his bedroom waiting for his lazy ass to arrive.

Finally convinced that Zach wasn't going to show, I packed my books and stood up to leave. As soon as I did however, a pang of guilt hit me.

Our tutoring session was scheduled from four to six o'clock, exactly two hours. It was only five-thirty.

I felt torn. On the one hand, no one would blame me for leaving, not even Cassandra Goode who hired me to study with his son. But at the same time, Mrs. Goode was my employer. I'd already swallowed my pride by making a deal with him, so there was no point in doing things half-assed. Determining that I was going to stay after all, I flopped back into my chair, almost knocking over my empty glass.

Huh. I'd forgotten about that.

When I arrived at the mansion, the Goode's housekeeper, Rosa, welcomed me in. She brought me a drink as I waited.

I placed the glass further away on the desk and sighed. What was I supposed to do for the next half hour? It wasn't like I could snoop around in someone else's bedroom.

Or could I? Maybe it _was_ a good thing Zach wasn't here.

Smiling, I wandered around the room. His bedroom was as massive as it was luxurious, not to mention incredibly masculine. All the furniture was black, from the queen-sized bed at the farthest end of the room to the leather couches by the fireplace. The wall nearest to the desk was marked by bookshelves; the opposite wall, a flat screen TV. He owned a good collection of CDs, and to my surprise, an even larger collection of black and white movies.

He likes blue, I deduced, noting the navy bedspread and the matching drapes. I trailed my fingers down the side of a drape and pushed it aside, revealing a sliding door.

Just as I suspected. A balcony! I tugged at the handle and it opened easily, letting the frigid January wind swallow up the room's warmth.

The wind whipped my hair into my eyes when I peered outside. I shivered. It was snowing like this when Sam died.

Sam.

It'd been over a year since the accident, but I couldn't bring myself to call him Dad like I used to. He was my mother's husband, Evan's father, and if circumstances made it necessary, my stepfather. Mostly I referred to him as Sam; it was easier that way.

Sam loved me like I was his own daughter, and I grateful for that. In fact, he legally adopted me soon after their marriage, giving me his name as well. I was ecstatic when it happened. Nothing makes a kid happier than being told she finally has a real dad.

That was eleven years ago. Now that I was seventeen, I couldn't help but feel that my mom and I had been abandoned again. The only difference was that my eight-year-old brother, Grant, had been abandoned too.

"What are you doing?" a deep voice drawled, jarring my thoughts. I whirled around to see Zach. He was standing by the doorway, an arm propped lazily against the frame. He had been watching me.

His sudden presence was unnerving. You'd feel the same way if you knew what he looked like.

Zach was over six feet tall, sporting a toned, muscular build. He had dark brown hair, an angular jaw, and eyes of emerald green.

I was immediately conscious that, permission or not, I was knee-deep in his territory. Plus I'd been snooping.

"Hi," I croaked, my voice sounding strange.

What was wrong with me? I mentally kicked myself and tried again.

"Hi. Remember me? Cammie Morgan? It's about time you showed up."

I pushed my hair out of my face while he sauntered over. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have some sort of death wish?"

"A…a what?"

He moved closer then, our bodies mere inches apart. He was a head taller than me, so I was eye-level to his neck. I shifted my gaze to the wall. "Listen, I don't know what you're doing but I don't think-" I immediately forgot my words when he thrust his arm around my body, his hand brushing past my hair.

What the hell was going on? I knew this was a mistake! I didn't care that Zach Goode was the most desired guy in school. If he thought he could do anything he wanted just because I-

THUD! The balcony door slammed shut. Zach dropped his hand and I blinked.

His lips curved mockingly, as if he'd known what I'd been thinking. "The room was getting cold. Or didn't you notice?"

I stared at him, his expression unreadable. Finally, I said, "I was feeling hot."

He looked me up and down then, reminding me that I still wore our school uniform. His eyes lingered on the hem of my kilt when he smirked, "Then take off your clothes."

My jaw dropped at his suggestion. As I was about to make a retort, he moved away. I followed but he ignored me, the stereo remote in his hand. He collapsed on the couch, the room suddenly loud with rock music.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to be heard. "Do you know how long I'd been waiting? You're late!"

His only response was to stretch out on the couch and fling an arm over his eyes.

I felt my blood pressure rise. Yanking the remote from Zach' dangling hand, I punched it fiercely before sending it flying to the other side of the room. The room was brought back to silence, and I felt slightly triumphant. "There. Much better."

No sound came from the oaf sprawled on the couch.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Zach?"

He rolled over so his back faced me. "Are you planning on studying at all?"

Silence ensued from his side of the room.

I tried a different approach. "Look," I began, my voice rational, "we can help each other. You're barely passing your classes and my GPA's flawless. My family's current financial situation sucks, and you're… a Goode. I despise this scenario as much as you do, but senior year's almost over. We might as well make the most of it."

When he didn't reply, I rolled my eyes. "You know, any sort of acknowledgment will suffice. A nod, a twitch, a grunt. Hell, I'll take anything."

He flipped his body over and cracked an eye open. "Get a clue, sweetheart, and go home."

I sputtered. Get a clue? Sweetheart!

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Rosa peeked inside. "Oh! Cammie, you're still here? It's almost six thirty."

Six...six-_thirty_?

My eyes flew to the clock and realized she was right. Apparently time goes by quicker when you're dealing with a demi-god.

I was about to mention the next day's tutoring session, but Zach was no longer on the couch. He had taken off his shirt and was heading to the bathroom.

I took that to be my dismissal.

With gritted teeth, I passed an amused Rosa and trudged angrily out of the house.:

Tutoring's never been this complicated, thanks to Zach Goode. He'll ignore you, then charm you. He'll insult you, then ask you out. With little studying going on, all Cammie wants is for Zach to pick up a textbook ... before she murders him with it.

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><p>I know you're mad at me they didn't kiss, but...OH WELL.<p>

R&R!


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